1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to storage systems capable of holding large quantities of information.
2. Background Art
Data storage systems provide long term, low cost storage for data. Many of these systems utilize hard disks for short term storage and removable tapes for long term storage. “Hard disks” refer to disks, magnetic, optical or otherwise, that combine data storage media with an access head and at least some support electronics. For simplicity, these will be referred to as simply “disks.” These disks offer shorter latency and higher throughput rates than tapes or removable disks. However, these disks have traditionally been higher in cost per bit.
Recent advances in disk technology has decreased the cost per bit of hard disks. What is needed is a long term storage system that takes advantage of these improvements to create greater efficiencies in storage systems.